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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018083">Grown With Love</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndiiErestor/pseuds/AndiiErestor'>AndiiErestor</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Oracle of Imladris [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works &amp; Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>B2MEM2020, M/M, brief mention of glorfindel's death, occulty-erestor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:46:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23018083</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AndiiErestor/pseuds/AndiiErestor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes, Valar forgive him for it now that he knew better, he'd doubted that Erestor's love for him ever ran as deep as his own, yet here was the proof.</p><p>[Goes with "Remembrance."]</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Erestor/Glorfindel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Oracle of Imladris [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1198450</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Back to Middle-earth Month 2020: Endings and Beginnings</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Grown With Love</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/StormXPadme/gifts">StormXPadme</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 1 Prompt: He was interested in roots and beginnings… (The Fellowship of the Ring, Book I, Chapter 2)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Glorfindel watched as Erestor tended to the garden, wondering how long these flowers had bloomed here, and which he planted in the spring based on a passing fancy. He knew the celandine swarming the garden was not of this area, nor even of this era. How it had come to grow here, he had his suspicions, but had not dared to ask fearing that he was right.</p><p>He'd heard the stories, same as everyone, after all.</p><p>In the end, he need not ask.</p><p>When Erestor was tending to the wild overgrown bush of them on the path by the front door, he understood. The stone peered out for only a moment, but Glorfindel had seen the engraving on it - the emblem of the house of the golden flower. Overgrown as it was, the foliage had kept the stone hidden and he'd walked by it every day never seeing it. It was a memorial dedicated to him. It had been there as long as he'd been allowed access to the cottage, and now suspected it may have been there before the cottage itself.</p><p>Tears sprung to his eyes and he raised his face to the sun, blinking them away. Sometimes, Valar forgive him for it now that he knew better, he'd doubted that Erestor's love for him ever ran as deep as his own, yet here was the proof. Through all these ages, Erestor had kept these flowers for him - had taken them with him, one move after another.</p><p>Ai, but he'd been so <em>stupid!</em></p><p>When at last he dared return his gaze to Erestor, his lover was looking at him with a look so full of emotion - sad, but smiling, but almost like he'd taken a bite of a lemon - but most of all, like he was wondering how in the world he'd fallen so deeply for such a foolish elf.</p><p>"My love," Glorfindel's apologetic whisper turned into a laugh at the look on Erestor's face, "I'm so sorry, Erestor."</p><p>Erestor shook his head with a slow smile. No need to apologize, for he knew how short their love had been, and that Glorfindel - though he would wish for it - would never dare to ask for Erestor to wait for him, especially not in such times, under such dark circumstances.</p><p>Ever had Erestor himself feared upon Glorfindel's return, for at first the golden elf had not recalled much of his previous life, and nearly nothing at all of the final years - the only years for which Erestor had known him.</p><p>It was a struggle to remain neutral those early months. Erestor had the impression he was very hot-and-cold for some time then, given how he both wanted to rekindle the flame they'd lost in the first age - even if it meant starting from the beginning - while also giving the reborn elf enough space to grow and remember on his own.</p><p>That Glorfindel had happened upon him one day at the market, reading cards and mixing herbal remedies for the sick-hearted, had startled him. He hadn't expected to show Glorfindel this side of himself quite so soon, but it seemed for the better.</p><p>Having watched some of the mixes Erestor had made for others, Glorfindel had inquired if he might only have a balm for a broken heart. Of course, Erestor had said that nothing was quite so straight-forward. Glorfindel asked then if he might know a way to make recalling more simple, and Erestor's heart stopped in his chest. He knew, of course, what events Glorfindel meant to recall and what that would entail, but how could he deny Glorfindel when he had denied no other?</p><p>And so, Erestor had taken the apple the blond already held in his hands and prepared something just for him before handing him the fruit back, along with a short handwritten note - instructions - and what he hoped was a hopeful smile, for in truth, his heart was heavy with worry.</p><p>Memories were not always an easy thing to remember, even when they had never been forgotten.</p><p>It took some time for everything to return, and still now there seemed to be some missing, not having been much to remember between them to begin with. Erestor was glad that Glorfindel didn't remember seeing him as he fell. <em>That</em> was a memory best left in Mandos. One of them remembering was enough.</p><p>For now, Erestor was happy to have found a way to prove to his lover that he <em>had</em> waited, intentionally or not, and that he'd never felt anything less than the most profound love for him.</p><p>Erestor wiped his hands lightly on his pants to remove most of the dirt clinging to them and stood, pulling Glorfindel into his arms.</p><p>"Glorfindel," he spoke, as he so <em>rarely </em>did, and kissed him, a smile on his lips as he did.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Goes with "Remembrance."</p></blockquote></div></div>
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